In the past, the problem of containment of effluent gases from a combustion-driven chemical cartridge laser has existed. Such gases are high temperature, sub-atmospheric pressure mixtures which can contain any of the following molecular spheres: HF, DF, H.sub.2, D.sub.2 (D = deuterium), N.sub.2, O.sub.2, Cl.sub.2 and Br.sub.2. A particular aspect of the cartridge laser to which this invention is addressed is that the effluent gas flow rate is high for a brief time duration when the laser is operated in a pulsed mode. In the past, two techniques have been used for gas containment in laser systems. These have included (1) a multi-stage unit which employed: a cold condenser tube which removed HF and DF, a cryogenic (-195.degree. C) molecular sieve bed which removed N.sub.2 by physical absorption, and a high temperature (400.degree. C) titanium powder bed which removed H.sub.2 and/or D.sub.2 by chemical reaction, and (2) a high temperature bed of all-metal filings with relatively low surface area to react with all the gases. In one instance of the all-metal high temperature bed, calcium-10% magnesium alloy filings were used at 500.degree. C, and in another case, a duo-temperature titanium bed of coarse filings was employed; one portion at 400.degree.-500.degree. C to react with H.sub.2, D.sub.2, HF, DF, and another portion at 900.degree. C to react with N.sub.2.
Also, in the past a bed of graphite (activated charcoal) and variations of soda-lime have been employed for removal of HF from gas streams. Such beds have low capacity or require extensive, bulky auxilliary equipment (cyclone precipitators) and are not favorable for pulse laser systems because the quantity of absorbent needed for realistic laser power operation is very high.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a process for producing reactive metals of high surface area that readily react with and absorb the effluent gases from a combustion-driven chemical cartridge laser.
Another object of this invention is to provide reactive metals that can be deposited on a substrate for a heat-absorbing function by absorbing heat (enthalpy) released during chemical reactions.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art.